


Incomplete

by RiethTheLost



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), XCOM (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Definitely not bradford or the commander though, Some of the younger characters out of Xcom might show up??, definitely they'll be mentioned though, long dead by 2075
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-24 21:13:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12021111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiethTheLost/pseuds/RiethTheLost
Summary: *AS THIS TAKES PLACE AFTER XCOM 2, MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE PLOT.*XCOM defeats the Elders in early 2036, ushering in an age of prosperity for mankind as ADVENT turns tail and runs, retreating from Earth wholesale. The destruction wreaked in the final battle has left an entire base destroyed, except for a small capsule held in a secure storage chamber that XCOM never found. 40 years later, The last Ethereal is awoken. The Great Catastrophe is still coming. The Elder's work is not complete.





	1. The End at the Beginning

The underwater base fell to pieces under the strain of the Psionic battle between the Commander and the remaining Ethereals. Anything still alive inside the base after the Commander disappeared into the psionic rift was surely destroyed, or so XCOM thought. As the Ethereals died, so too did their hold over ADVENT forces worldwide. Resistance efforts across the globe experienced a massive rush of success as ADVENT lost any and all coordination, Captains desperately trying to use a network that wasn't there to command their troopers. As ADVENT soldiers were slaughtered En Masse, the remaining aliens took their chance. Ships left earth in droves, carrying as many aliens as they could, and scattered to the stars. They intended to spread the word that Earth was not to be attacked. Humanity's grip on their home would remain firm for decades. In the wake of ADVENT's fall, technology from their research centers and the research done on the Avenger by Tygan and his team rapidly lead to the creation of a true, thinking AI. Within three years of this momentous discovery, the first Omnium was built. For the first time in living memory, humanity as a whole was at peace. Most of XCOM disbanded, with it's remnants taking up positions of power around the world, soldiers returning to their home countries to train the next generation of peacekeepers, scientists and engineers returning to universities with amazing discoveries made aboard the Avenger, and Bradford would have spent the rest of his days as a consultant for the commander- had they not disappeared from public knowledge almost immediately after the war's end. Instead he helped the UN reform, and remained the head of the XCOM project until it too, grew unneeded. He too vanished from the public eye after his retirement, though it's said the founder of Helix Securities International has some relation. Unfortunately, peace is a tenuous prospect at best. Many of the XCOM operatives from the second war were still alive when the Omnics rose up, plunging the earth into another conflict. Overwatch formed out of the Omnic crisis, bringing light to a world that desperately needed it again. Now, in 2075, the world sits in a delicate balance.

**Regeneration Complete. Incomplete Avatar ready for Elder merge. Beginning merge.**

The Avatar opened it's eyes, seeing through it's pale purple mask for the first time in forty years. It raised it's hand, looking down at itself, then held the hand out to the glass of the stasis tank that held it. The tank's glass retracted, and the Avatar was buffeted by a wall of water. Pressure threatened to crush the Avatar, but it focused it's energy, creating a psionic bubble that held the water back. It stepped forwards, and the bubble moved with it. It reached out with it's mind, searching for it's brethren. It heard only silence in return. Then, it spoke, and the computer responded.

"How long have I been asleep?"

**39 years. The current year is 2075. The ADVENT administration has fallen. Earth is once again controlled by Humans.**

The Avatar sighed. It walked from the ruins of the underwater base, opening it's mind to read the various fish and other marine life, mapping out the ocean around it. When it had enough information to know in which direction the nearest landmass was, it turned to head to land. It was alone, and needed an ally. After all, no matter how powerful the Ethereals were, a lone one couldn't take control of the world. The Great Catastrophe clearly had not come yet, and so that meant there was still time to prepare. And it would be prepared. The Avatar must be perfected, and with it, The greatest failure of the Ethereals would be redeemed.

Days later, the Avatar stood at the entrance to an underground stronghold built during the age where it's species controlled the Earth. As the security system slowly came to life, the Avatar was let in immediately. It walked through the base, passing the decayed corpses of ADVENT and aliens alike. It stepped over rubble, and approached a statue. It looked up at the image of it's species, and was teleported into a different room. A large pillar-like object lay in the room, shattered. The avatar approached, and looked at the corpse laying in front of the base of the pillar. It had not decayed, unlike the others. The avatar held out it's hand, and channeled a huge amount of psionic power, drawing it from both it's own reserves, and what little remained in the shattered pillar. Slowly, the wounds of the corpse healed, and it's eyes sparked with life. It pushed itself to it's feet, regaining it's balance quickly. Then, it turned to the Avatar.

"I am... Alive." He seemed surprised at this, clearly when XCOM had slain the Elder's chosen hunter, he had not expected to return.

The avatar nodded. "You are still needed."

The Hunter kneeled, and bowed his head. "Yes, master. I shall serve. I must ask though; Why me, and not my sister, or my brother?"

"Your personality may be... caustic... but your methods are far more reliable than either of them. I will eventually revive all three of you, but my power needs time to grow. I used almost all of it bringing you back. Do not fall- Your sarcophagus lies broken, and cannot resurrect you again. Your task is to retrieve information about the world we find ourselves in- It has been forty years since my brethren fell. Humanity has doubtless made advancements in that time, and we need to be ready. There is still time to prevent the Catastrophe."

The hunter stood. "My weapons... XCOM took them."

"Yes. You will need to find more. I require none, my psionics are strong enough to protect myself if necessary- but you, and the others, when we raise them, will need weaponry. As for myself, I will be searching for a base of operations. The main Avatar facility is in ruins."

The hunter nodded, and kneeled again. A pillar of purple light enveloped him, and he vanished.

_Paris, France_

Widowmaker stood, looking out over the city. Her emotionless gaze fell on a small group of people standing in a park, and she unconsciously counted the seconds it would take to reach for Widow's Kiss and kill each of them. Two to grab the rifle, another to aim, and then a second for each shot, compensating for recoil. Six total. She had no need to kill these people, but she kept her mind sharp by doing this exercise any time she watched a group from above. Behind her, a pillar of purple light briefly flashed. She heard the sound of footsteps, and turned, expecting to see a Talon operative come to give her an assignment. Instead, a tall, armored figure grinned down at her. His skin looked almost like hers, but his eyes had a distinctly non-human quality. Then she noticed his teeth- all pointed, and not the right number at all, though they fit the shape of his mouth. Clearly, not human. She reached for Widow's kiss, but a grapple shot from his glove, hooked into the trigger of her gun, and pulled it into his hand.

"Remarkable craftsmanship. I can respect anyone who keeps a rifle this fine." He raised it to his eye level, looking down the scope out at the people below. "It will make a good replacement for my Darklance."

Widowmaker glared. "Who are you? And how did you get here?"

The hunter blinked. "Did you not see the giant flash of light? Humans really are as dumb as they come, aren't they- Or are you even human? You look more like a miniature version of myself!" He slung widow's kiss over his shoulder, then grinned. "Anyway, I think it's time to get on to the main event." He drew something from his belt, a small cylinder. Then he hurled it at Widowmaker, and she dived backwards, over the side of the building. After his flashbang went off, the hunter ran to the edge and looked down. "Did she really kill herself just to avoid a flashba-" Before he could finish his sentence, Widowmaker's grapple retracted, launching her towards him. Her fist caught him in the mouth, and he staggered backwards. "Oh, you're good. I haven't had a worthy opponent in forty years! Come on now, let's dance." He drew Widow's Kiss, instinctively snapping it into it's sniper configuration as if he'd held the weapon every day. He took a step backwards, threw his left arm to the side, and grappled to another building, turning as soon as he landed to aim at Widowmaker, firing a shot that just barely missed her side. "Here, have a warning shot. Next one's going straight through your stomach. Can't be killing you now, can I?"

Widowmaker snarled, launching her own grapple to follow him, as he turned and ran again. Their chase led them across rooftops, the gunfire attracting attention from civilian and police alike. Widowmaker spoke into her communicator as the hunter dropped through a second story window, and she followed. "Widowmaker requesting backup. Unknown assailant has attacked. Has stolen Widow's Kiss, and is proving adept at both using it and escaping." The talon operator on the other end confirmed, then sent out the request for backup. Widowmaker saw a form shoot upwards over the building she was approaching, so she launched her grapple and flew into the air, releasing near the end of the pull to give herself extra distance. As she arced over the building, she realized she'd been had. Her opponent, instead of having performed a maneuver like the one she was now in the middle of, was standing on the roof, aiming Widow's Kiss. He fired, and the shot caught her directly in the abdomen. She fell to the roof, rolled, and lay still for a moment, gasping in pain. She heard footsteps approaching her, then the figure spoke.

"Told you, I never miss a called shot. Now, lets find out what you know." A hand pulled the recon visor from her face, and then a purple glow enveloped the hunter's eyes. The same glow flowed out of his hand, and he grinned. "Ah, the collective knowledge of a world-renowned assassin. You and my sister would have gotten along famously. A pity she's still dead. A real pity." He stood, dropping her to the ground, and turned to walk away. "Call your evac now, Widowmaker. After all, I might need to extract more knowledge from you at a later date." A dark, haunting laugh echoed from him, and he vanished in the same flash of light he'd appeared in. 

Widowmaker coughed, forcing herself to a kneeling position. Then, she activated her communicator again. "Unknown assailant has... escaped. I am wounded. Widowmaker requesting Evac and Medical attention. Assailant did something to me... knows my name. Escaped with Widow's Kiss." Her mind was hazy after whatever he'd done to her. Extracting knowledge? Had he gleaned something from their battle? Her eyes widened. She deactivated her communicator and spoke aloud to herself. "He didn't know who I was at the start... but at the end he did. What more did he learn from me?"


	2. Regroup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunter has escaped with both a sniper rifle, and knowledge. What he will do with this information, Talon can only speculate at.
> 
> Shorter chapter this time.

Widowmaker stood before the Talon council, her head bowed. Akande looked over the table at her. "So your description of this assailant- Elaborate."

She nodded, and began. "The assailant appears to have the ability to teleport- Both his arrival and departure were punctuated by a bright flash of purple light. Additionally, he carries flashbangs on his person, as well as a grapple hook attached to his armor. He showed extreme skill with Widow's Kiss, able to shoot a fast-moving target with precision unmatched by anyone but myself. This is despite, to my knowledge, his having never held the weapon before."

"And his physical stature- You mentioned that earlier?"

"Yes. The assailant was tall beyond any human measure, at least nine feet. Arms and Legs matched this proportion. Eyes glowed bright purple, and his skin tone matches my own. Armored in light metals, with a hood. Extremely ornate armor, possibly originally only ceremonial. Four-armed insignia on his chest."

He grimaced, and others at the table showed similar concern. "Up until now we were sure no one else knew of the Widowmaker procedure- Now, not only is it clear that was a false assumption, we have an unknown group using this procedure to create a super soldier. I have a feeling soon the world will know of this assailant, and who he works for. Did he say anything else that stood out?"

"Before he attacked, he seemed to have no knowledge of me. At the end of our battle, he called me by my callsign- It seems he has some way of extracting information from his foes during battle. Additionally, he mentioned a 'sister' though he also said she was deceased."

Reaper leaned forwards. "So there might be more of these soldiers. And they're with a group we have no knowledge of whatsoever. How has a force with soldiers this good stayed so under the radar that not one of us has heard of them?" if they were a PMC, their name would be as well known as Helix. If they are terrorists, their names would be worldwide knowledge, and feared. We have to face the possibility this is an entirely new organization- or a very old one making a comeback."

Widowmaker blinked, as if remembering something. "He spoke once about time- near the beginning of our battle. He said he hadn't had a decent opponent in forty years. I would suggest starting your search around that time period."

Reaper nodded, then looked around the table. "Do I have permission to shift Sombra's priorities to learning about this threat?"

There was a murmer of assent from the assembled council members, and Reaper nodded again, stood, and left.


	3. Machines of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To read the accent, read words ending in a "-" as if there have a short pause after the word.

The Hunter stood at the entrance to an old facility. A facility that hadn't been active since he walked the Earth. Beside him, The Avatar stood ready. He pushed open the door, which normally would have slid open as soon as it detected them. Afterwards, they walked inside. The Avatar's hands glowed briefly, then a pulse of purple light went out in all directions. As it did, The Avatar spoke, and it's voice reverberated through the abandoned building.

"HEAR ME, SERVANTS OF THE ELDERS. YOUR TASK IS NOT COMPLETE. THOUGH MY BRETHREN HAVE FALLEN, I REMAIN. MY WILL IS YOURS. LET US BRING THE HUMANS BACK INTO THE FOLD, FOR THE GREAT PROPHECY IS STILL IN MOTION."

As the voice of The Avatar echoed, the pulse of psionic power established a link between The Avatar and the facility. It's network reestablished, The facility came to life. Mechanical peacekeepers from the days of ADVENT now walked the halls, and assembled in formation. As the Hunter looked on, he spoke dryly.

"I doubt the humans will be very happy to see another army of machines. From what I gained from that assassin, it hasn't been long since the last time humanity faced off against robotic opponents."

The Avatar nodded. "As you informed me. The world is already on the brink- We only need a spark to ignite the fire. Then the humans will beg for the elder's embrace." The Avatar turned, and the small army of assembling machines followed them. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A man with white hair leaned over his table, looking at a screen. Two vid calls were active, one with a woman wearing a full face mask, the other with a man with similarly white hair, but cut short to his head. The second man's eyes glowed a dull purple. The first man moved a glass full of whiskey aside. "So, why'd you call us?"

The second man gestured with his hand, a gauntlet glinting in the light. "I have felt a call. One that has not been heard for decades, since we last fought. I am afraid we may be needed again."

The first man shook his head. "Hang on. I'm not in fighting shape, and neither are either of you."

The woman laughed, speaking in a broken, stilted way. "Speak for- yourself, Volk. I am always ready for- a battle. My kind always are, though I am the last."

"That's not fair, Betos. You don't _age_. We do."

The woman snorted. "Just because I am not- human, it is not fair that my- kind do not age? I will never understand your- humor."

"I should have killed you years ago, Betos" He shook his head. "But I suppose that'd make me no better than ADVENT."

"You- should have. It would have saved me much- pain. This world was not kind to those- like me. Though I do not- Blame them. After- all, I wear the face of their oppressor."

The man with the purple eyes shook his head. "You always know how to lighten up the conversation, Betos."

"Anyway, back on topic." Volk sighed. "What do you think this call is?"

"It is unmistakable. An Elder lives."

Neither man could see it through her mask, but Betos blanched. "An Elder!? You are- Sure of this, Geist?"

"Absolutely. And the call persists, even now. I believe they have established a small psionic network. I do not know why, or how, but Humanity is not safe yet- the three of us may need to help once more."

"And what do you suggest we _do,_ Geist?"

"I do not know. Without the Commander, An elder is probably beyond the strength of any of us. We will need help."

Betos smirked behind her mask. "I may have- an idea."

"Yes, Betos?" Volk grinned. "Last time you had an idea, I ended up trying to pilot a sectopod. If that's anything to go by, I can't wait to hear this one."

Betos opened a window on her computer, and presented it to the others. "I recently- came across a strange signal. One clearly not meant- for me. But come across it I did." Onscreen, a circular logo, grey and yellow, floated above the words 'Overwatch Recall' with a yes/no prompt. "This organization- once were peacekeepers, but became pariahs- Like my kind. I cannot help but feel a sort of kinship- with them. I plan on contacting them."

Geist nodded. "Overwatch... I remember that name."

Volk laughed. "Of course you do! They were on the news almost daily after they got shut down. Are you really ready to be a worldwide pariah again, Betos?"

Betos pulled her mask off, revealing her scarred face and red eyes. "I am always- ready. I fought for this world before, and I will do it again."


	4. New allies, old enemies.

Tracer glanced over at Winston's main computer as it lit up. "Hey Winston? Something's goin on. Looks like you've got a call incoming! Maybe another agent has answered the recall!" She jumped up from her seat, and ran to the computer. "How do I answer?"

Winston, looking up from his maintenance on the accelerator, gestured at the screen. "Just tap the call incoming icon. It'll answer."

She did so, and a face, or rather, mask, she didn't recognize appeared onscreen. On second glance, it appeared it was actually a full helmet- With two red slits for the user to see through. Lena raised an eyebrow. "Hello? Who're you? You're not an Overwatch agent."

The caller shook their head, then spoke. The voice struck Tracer as odd- As if it weren't _quite_ human, but was a close approximation. "No, I am- not. But I am an ally. You can- call me Betos." Athena began to log information on the caller, starting with their name. Tracer wasn't quite sure how to respond, but Winston joined her at the computer.

"How did you make this call? Only Overwatch agents should have received the recall." Winston looked curious. "And would you do us the favor of showing your face? It's hard to trust nothing but a mask."

Betos shook their head. "I am sorry, but I cannot remove my helmet. Trust- me, it is better this way. And as for how I made this call, I may not be an agent- of your organization, but I do have experience intercepting any messages my equipment can pick up." They gestured to the wall behind them, which lit up with screens showing news feeds, transcripts of radio broadcasts, and even a few social media pages. "It helps to- stay informed. This is the- reason for my call."

"You have information for us?"

"Yes. A trusted source has told me that an old enemy of humanity has returned."

Tracer looked concerned. "Another omnic uprising? Where? We'd have heard about it by now, surely."

"Not these- Omnics. Older than them. A force humanity has not faced since your year 2036."

Now both Winston and Tracer looked confused. "what do you mean by 'Your' year? are you not using the same calendar?" Suddenly, Athena opened a window containing a folder from the old Overwatch databases- Documents originally dating to that decade that had been stored on the server for unknown reasons. Images flashed onscreen, ranging from what looked like police in black kevlar to a masked human with white hair, and a strange, purple rifle. The folder was titled "UN Database- ADVENT. 2015-2036."

Winston stared at the appearing images. Then, he turned back to face Betos. "You expect us to believe ADVENT, a force which by all records, was completely driven from earth 40 years ago, has suddenly returned? You're not exactly making yourself sound believable."

If a helmet could look exasperated, Betos would have managed it. "I do not lie. Even now, they are building an army. I do not know how much power they have yet- but if they are allowed to grow, they will be a larger threat to humanity than the Omnic Crisis ever was. Believe me- I saw first hand the fate ADVENT had in store for this world. They would leave it a husk of it's former self, drained of everything they could take, always promising enlightenment, then once they had what they needed, they and their forces would vanish without a trace."

Tracer interjected, raising a finger. "How do you know so much about what ADVENT's goals were? almost everything about them is classified information."

Betos sat back, as if considering something. Then, they leaned close to the camera. "Because." Then, their hands came up and gripped the sides of their helmet, and pulled it off. When their face was in the light, Tracer took an involuntary step backwards sheerly out of shock. It was covered in scars and metal, as if it had been put together by a machine, rather than naturally formed. Their eyes were also far too large, and as red as blood. "I was ADVENT. for- ten years. I escaped their control, and over the years, so did- many of my kind. We helped _save_ humanity from the- Elders. But when humanity took their world- back, we learned there would be no- place in it for us." Their expression darkened. "My kind- Hunted like animals. Even the freed; the ones that layed down- their arms and offered to help humanity rebuild; slaughtered." Betos sighed. "But- I harbor no ill-will towards humanity. My kind never should have- existed in the first place. It is by our very creation, billions of humans died. To respond in kind is- natural. I do not wish to see- such tragedy again. So I warn you, agents of Overwatch; The elders are returning. And I offer help; My current- location is in the city you call Numbani. Perhaps together, we shall face this foe and prevail. And if not, I will be with my brethren at last."

Athena spoke for the first time during the conversation; "I can have the Orca prepared to fly by the time Agent Oxton reaches it. We can retrieve Betos within five hours, with the Orca's maximum flight speed."

Winston nodded. "Alright Betos. Our agent will be there to retrieve you soon. Do you have any more information about the threat we face?"

Betos shook their head. "None yet. I have a feeling- however, we will not need to wait long before they make a move. The elders never really- were ones for subtlety."

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sombra leaned back in her chair, looking at Reaper in the call window. "So, you need info? What on?"

"We're not entirely sure. All we have is a time frame- 40 years ago. Look for super-soldier programs around that time."

Sombra nodded, then opened a window and started talking. "Well, as you know, ADVENT controlled earth during that time. And the UN tends to keep everything about what was going on with ADVENT beyond the basics that're public knowledge under wraps. But, I bet I can... find..." She trailed off. "The files on ADVENT have been wiped? Why would they... Whatever. You can't keep information from _me._ " She continued her work, gritting her teeth. "HA! They kept it on the old Overwatch database- the one that's supposed to be public, but isn't because the public can't see half the files. Clever, just hiding the info in plain sight."

Reaper rolled his eyes. "And? Anything useful?"

"Patience, Gabe. Patience. Hmm... What's this?" Sombra reached up, tapping a folder with her finger. "Chosen?" When she opened it, three images appeared on her screen. She shared the screen with Reaper, so that he could see them too. "Any of these fit Widowmaker's description?"

Reaper nodded. "Looks like the third one. "The Hunter." See what you can dig up on him."

"Sounds good. Let's see... expert with a sniper rifle, also proficient with handguns. Oh what's _this_? 'armor specially shaped to render him almost completely immune to melee weapons' Where can I get some?" She joked, then kept reading. "Reacts with unparalleled speed. Now what could that mean?"

"I don't know. Any information on the other two? We don't know how many of these 'chosen' are alive."

"All three folders for them are marked "Deceased" but, clearly that's wrong. Anyway, let's see. The Assassin... master of the blade, and shotguns. And the warlock... "Master of Psionic Power" I... I don't know what that means. Oh, here we g... "Can gain complete control of targets with a thought." Remind me to stay _far_ away from that guy. Anyway, looks like they were all known for capturing their targets alive, or interrogating them right there on the battlefield with an unknown technique that let them gain huge amounts of information, as long as their target was dazed and unable to fight back. Boy, what I wouldn't give to be able to do that to people I hack."

Reaper shook his head. "So, from what you're reading here, they were pretty much unstoppable."

"Seems like it. It's even listed that until, quote, "The Sarcophagus was broken" unquote, they were effectively immortal. Every time they were killed they'd just come back. Reminds me of you, Gabe."

Reaper didn't seem to see the humor in Sombra's jab. Instead, he leaned back in his own chair. "Great. Send the information to me, and I'll forward it to Akande. Maybe he and the rest of the council will have ideas on how to deal with this." As he stood, he turned to look at Sombra. "You'll probably have another new assignment soon. I'd stay ready t-" He pointed at the door. "Flash of light. Outside."

Sombra turned, and caught the end of the light as it faded. Her eyes widened, and she reached back to turn off her monitor. The camera was still on, so Reaper would still see what was happening, but whoever was outside wouldn't see him. Then, the door fell open, and The Hunter ducked to step through. He shook his head. "Ugh, humans and their tiny elders-damned doorways." Then, he looked up and saw Sombra staring at him. "Ah, I see you've been expecting me. After I learned from your assassin friend, I figured, hey, you're the girl with the info, right? Makes sense to come here next." Once inside, he stood to his full height, and Sombra was truly dwarfed. She reached for her SMG, and activated her camo, vanishing into purple light. The hunter rolled his eyes. "Great, another one that can do that. Was my sister not enough?" He pulled a grenade from his belt, and tossed it into the room. When it detonated, the room filled with purple smoke. The smoke seemed to cling to everything, including Sombra's hidden form. "Found you." The hunter lept forwards, grabbing at Sombra, who dived underneath him, rolled to her feet, and sprayed her SMG in his direction. He growled as the bullets struck him, Then turned. "Great job. My turn." Before she could react, he was hurling another grenade from his belt. This one struck her in the stomach before detonating in a bright flash that left her dazed. When she recovered, he was bearing down on her, about to grab her by the throat. She tossed her translocator through the open doorway, waved, then vanished, reappearing in the street where it had landed. The hunter looked briefly confused, then turned to look out into the street. "Clever. That's a bit of tech I've never seen before... I should remember to take one when I'm done here."

Sombra retreated into the square, activating her communicator. "Backup! Backup now! The assailant who attacked Widowmaker is here!"

The talon operator spoke back. "Backup's already on it's way. Reaper called it in the second you turned off your monitor. Just hold out for a few minutes."

Sombra narrowly ducked behind the statue before another flashbang went off, and yelped in surprise as the hunter flew past her, using a grapple to land on the walkway above. "I don't know if I have a few minutes!"

The hunter shook his head. "Poor little shadow. Finally out of places to run?" He raised the rifle- she recognized it as Widow's Kiss- he carried to his eye, and grinned. "Too bad, I was having fun. Not often I get to hunt an invisible, teleporting prey. Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you..." He made a slight movement, then fired. Sombra gasped in pain as the bullet struck, dropping to her knees. As she stood up, the hunter's boot caught her in the jaw. She went sprawling, groaning in pain. Then he kneeled, grabbing her by the head. "I can't wait for the WEALTH of information I'll get from you... Maybe I should take you with me, so I have more time to properly interrogate you... Nah. We don't have room for prisoners... yet." Suddenly, she felt strange, and the whole world seemed to go purple. After a moment, he dropped her and stood. "Time for me to go. Say hi to your backup for me!" He turned, and vanished into his signature pillar of purple light. Sombra whined, slowly getting her bearings. As she did, She saw a talon helicopter landing. Multiple agents landed, and one ran to her with a first-aid kit. The others fanned out, but she waved them down. "He's gone. Please bring the first aid kit... and someone get me a drink. My head feels like it's been through a vice."


	5. Not a Game anymore

The Avatar turned to the hunter as he appeared in a pillar of light, and spoke.

"While you have been gaining information about the world we now find ourselves in, I have been searching for what The Elders left behind. In addition to these Forges around the world, There are several facilities in which what remains of our forces lay in hibernation. Those that did not flee this earth when The Elders died shall remain loyal to me. I have used the network I have created here to contact one of those facilities."

The Hunter nodded. "Is your plan to take the world back by force? Unfortunately, from what I've gathered, humanity has progressed far from when you reigned. Our forces may not be enough."

The Avatar shook it's head. "We do not need to take it by force. We can let Humanity destroy itself, then what remains will beg for the Elder's guidance. Watch. I have awoken some of our more... animalistic... creations. Humanity is already on the brink of war. A few sparks in the right places..."

"And the fire will start on it's own." The Hunter finished.

The Avatar nodded in return, and waved it's hand, bringing up a screen. "While this plan is put into motion... I need you to find a weapon for your sister. My power is returning slowly, and soon I can resurrect her."

"Yes, Master... Though I cannot say it will be a happy reunion."

"Your sister was never happy."

The Hunter shook his head. "Not true, she enjoyed hunting down the traitors." Then, he bowed. "I will return shortly." With that, he vanished into a flash of light.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Small town near Seoul, South Korea.**

Hana moved slowly, her MEKA the only sound in the silent streets. In her ear, a MEKA official spoke. 

"Remember Hana; We need you alive more than we need intel; if something goes wrong, get out of there. We're not sure what could make an entire town go dark, but whatever it is, We can't afford to lose MEKA pilots."

Hana nodded her affirmation, and the camera looking down at her relayed this to her superiors. Turning her MEKA slowly, she shuddered. It was far, far too quiet for a town. She should hear cars, or voices. An open door on her left made her pause. She walked the MEKA close, and saw something inside. When she realized what it was, she swore. A body lay on the ground, blood splattered on the floor around it. On the body's back, a large, orange blob covered most of it's surface. Shapes seemed to move inside it, but it was impossible to tell what it was.

"What is it? Song, respond!" The official spoke in her ear. Hana stared at the body, lost for words.

"It... It looks like a body. But there's something on it... large. Orange... and bubbling. I can't get the MEKA any closer."

The voice in her ear paused. "... Right, I think we're calling it. Hana, get out of there. We have some information on what happened here, but we need to regroup and figure out what's going on."

"Right. Hana, returning to ba-" Before she finished, what looked like a spiked insect leg shot out of the strange blob. Hana yelped, and moved the MEKA back on instinct. The creature slowly pulled itself out of what was now revealed to be a cocoon. It's four legs seemed to be bladed for their entire length, supporting a spindly frame of chitin. In addition to it's four bladed legs, it had short, clawed arms. It's mouth had two large mandibles on either side, which opened and closed experimentally as the creature breathed air for the first time in it's life. It turned to look at the MEKA, and then saw Hana inside. Even as a freshly born... Whatever it was... it's instincts told it where food was. So it rushed the MEKA, and Hana backed up further, firing the MEKA's cannons. One blast struck the creature in the abdomen, and it slowed down for a moment, before leaping forwards. It's claw struck the MEKA's side and left a gash down the metal, but didn't break through to anything important. Another cannon blast hit home, doing heavy damage to the creature's head. It reeled back, then, despite not having the facial structure required to do so, Hana could have sworn it _glared_ at her. Then it raised it's head and let out a chilling sound somewhere between chittering, and a howl. Hana immediately started firing again, sure that whatever it was doing, she wanted it to stop. A few blasts later, the creature lay dead. But the damage had already been done. She heard answering calls from several different directions. Then, she heard the MEKA officer shouting in her ear.

"Song, Get out of there! Scanners show a huge number of biosignatures moving in your direction!" 

As Hana turned to leave, she saw the cocoon shift, and another spike-legged creature started pulling itself out. _Great._ She thought to herself. _Just how many of these things are there?_ She turned the MEKA and activated it's boosters, flying down the street. As she passed an intersection, she saw one of the creatures in a small yard. It turned to look at her, and it seemed larger than the one she'd killed. Possibly not a newly hatched one. Another landed on a nearby roof, this one much larger. It watched her, and the look in it's eyes... almost human in it's intelligence. Whatever these creatures were, there sure did seem to be a lot of different ones. She shuddered. "Can't even escape the Zerg in real life now..." She muttered to herself. She looked up from where it had jumped from, but didn't see it. Then another cleared the house. They were making that jump from ground level. Another shudder passed through her, and she shook her head. She knew they were waiting to overwhelm her. She needed to get away before enough of them gathered. She turned the MEKA, activated it's boosters again, and pushed straight through one that had moved to block the street. It let out a strangled noise as the MEKA bowled it over, and then struggled back to it's feet.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_About five minutes ago._

The white haired man looked out the window. Another monster ran through the street, blood still fresh on it's chitin. His expression was unreadable, but his purple eyes held fury. He turned, and threw open a closet. On the top shelf, rested an old helmet. Below it, hung a pair of gauntlets and an old suit of powered armor. As he pulled the armor on, purple lights glowed down it's sides. He took a moment to look at his bare arms before the suit enclosed them- The same purple glow as always shined down them. But now, it felt like strength flowed through them. Not something to hide anymore, not when he could help people. He pulled the gauntlets on, then the helmet. Both lit up with the same purple glow as his armor. He walked down the stairs, and looked at his front door. He hadn't worn this armor in years, but now he was preparing to fight an enemy he hadn't seen in even longer. An enemy he had hoped was extinct. With a sigh, he opened the reinforced door. Glowing blades of purple energy extended from his gauntlets, and he grinned. Retirement never really suit him anyway. He rushed into the street, running one of the monsters down. He leapt at it, shouting.

"I strike for my people!"

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hana turned her head. Shouting? Someone was still alive! She forced her MEKA into yet another tight turn to swing around fast enough to land on the street where she'd heard the shouting. She saw an armored figure in the street, fighting a group of the creatures. In his hands were-

Hana shook her head. "No way. I've gotta be having a stroke or something." The man appeared to have long, glowing blades extended from his hands. He was engaged in melee combat with the monsters, deftly ducking between their scything claws. One lunged at him, and he dodged to the left, slicing the leg clean off with one movement of his arm. Another, and he impaled the creature through it's head, turning and throwing it at one of the others. One creature lept at him, but he brought his arms together and a glowing purple shield blocked the attack. He retaliated with a burst of machine pistol fire, then the last of the group he fought lunged from behind him. Hana boosted forwards, slamming the MEKA into the creature. It fell to the side, screeching at her. A single burst of cannonfire to the skull, and it's movements ceased. The man turned to look, then saw the MEKA. He paused for a second, then realized they were on the same side. He bowed in greeting.

"Thank you for the rescue."

Hana nodded, still looking around for more of the creatures. The man shook his head. "There are few left in this area. The largest concentration of them is to the south, where they were unearthed."

Hana turned back at that. "Unearthed? You mean-"

"I mean these creatures have been hibernating underground for an incredibly long time." As he turned, he looked at one of the fallen creatures. "They plant eggs in living creatures with their claws- these eggs are also highly toxic. When the infected dies, the eggs rapidly gestate into more."

Hana resisted shuddering for the third time in as many minutes. Sometimes when she went particularly off the rails and did her marathon 24+ hour streams, she'd have nightmares after of Zerg, but this... this was something else. "What the hell are they?"

"Chryssalids. A formerly herbivorous species, before The Elders had their way." At Hana's confused stare, the man's shoulders slumped and he seemed exasperated, even through a full face helmet. "Bugs. Big, alien bugs. Used to be used as terror units by the Elders, who held the world in an iron grip for thirty years? What is today's history teaching people? ...Not important at the moment. Right now, we need to leave."

Hana offered him her MEKA's arm, and he stepped easily up onto it's back. There, he kneeled, and Hana looked up. "Are you really going to be able to stay on up there? This thing moves pretty fast once the boost's going."

"I will be fine. Templars have an exemplary sense of balance." Then he laughed. "And besides. I can do this." Four small pillars of the same energy that extended from his gauntlets when he fought rose from her MEKA, and beams of light connected them. These beams then connected to his armor, and he nodded. "I will not lose my grip."

"...Right." Hana turned to face forwards, her expression shifting from concern to incredulous. Who the hell was this guy? As she activated her MEKA's boosters, it flew along the street. "Shouldn't we be checking for more survivors?"

"I can sense life forms- Everything in this world exudes a psionic pulse. There are no survivors." He shook his head sadly. "The Elder's servants work quickly. Soon this place will be a hive... I have no doubt if a colony of this size was hibernated here, a Queen lives as well." A house on the left seemed to have a large gash cut through an entire wall, stretching from ground to roof. "That... would be her mark."

Han stared at it as it passed by. "How... How large are queens? Even the babies seemed huge. Also, you still haven't told me your name."

"And you have not told me yours. A precise measurement of a queen has never been attempted- It is impossible to take one alive, and it is incredibly difficult to do while dead, as the limbs will no longer hold her weight due to the lack of muscular integrity, so height cannot properly be measured. Needless to say, they are large enough to kill us both quite easily."

"Well, let's hope we don't see one then. My name's Hana. Hana Song. I'm with MEKA, the Korean military."

"Ah, I have heard of MEKA. My name is Geist."

"Either you or your parents have got weird taste, Geist."

"It is not the name they gave me. I remember nothing prior to my enlistment during the Elder's invasion. Geist is simply the name for what I was to become. What I am now."

"You're not helping your case." Hana snarked.

"And you are awfully presumptuous for a child." This illicited a glare, not that she thought he could see her. "I was to be the first human Psion. The first to take the power of the Elders into my own hands. Unfortunately, the Elders destroyed the project before it could be completed. I was left in that glorified test tube, until the power gave out and safeguards released me. I was completely without memory. All that was left was the project name; Geist. So I took the mantle, and began to resist the Elders however I could. When we reach your MEKA headquarters, if I could be allowed a phone, or computer, I could contact the others like me. The Templars will once more stand with our fellow man."

"I'll see what I can do." 

"Hana, huge biosignature moving towards you on the left. I'd go right if I were you- might be one of those queens he was talking about." In her ear, the MEKA officer spoke. Apparently, they could hear everything Geist was saying.

Hana looked to her left as she adjusted course, and saw a massive spiked leg come around a building. As the creature came more into view, it was clear it was over a story tall. As it looked down at the MEKA, it took a moment to register what it was seeing. Then it took off at a run. Luckily, due in large part to it's sheer size, the Queen wasn't particularly fast. Unfortunately, the stomping and roaring it produced attracted what seemed like every one of the damn monsters in the town. Hana spoke into her headset. 

"Hana to base, We need aerial EVAC as soon as possible. These things can follow me over land, and I'll lead them straight to Seoul otherwise."

"Affirmative Hana, see if you can lose them. In the mean time, EVAC is on it's way."

Hana looked up. "Hear that Geist? We gotta last until EVAC gets here. How powerful are those blades of yours?"

Geist let out a hollow laugh. "Powerful enough. But they are not my only weapon." The camera mounted on the top of the MEKA showed what the man was doing, and Hana's eyes widened at the sight. The lashes of light keeping him tied were now supporting him as he _stood_ on the moving machine, facing into the horde congregating behind them. His gauntlets started to glow, and purple spikes of electricity jumped between them. " **Behold, the power of the templars!** " He bellowed, and the arc of lightning shot from his hands, striking the nearest monster. As it did, the thing fell backwards, and the lightning jumped from it to the others standing nearby, frying an entire group alive. Another screeched, and lept for the MEKA. Geist held his arm out, then raised it, clenching a glowing fist. A pillar of light like the ones that chained him to the MEKA raised underneath the leaping monster, it was thrown upwards, and he drew his pistol with his free hand, firing into it's head. It dropped lifeless to the pavement.

Hana stared at her readouts, starting to get nervous. "Hope you're ready for some closer combat, I'm almost out of fuel for the boosters... We're gonna be walking out of here soon!" She cut the boosters just before empty, and the MEKA's momentum carried it a short distance before it landed, and she kept it moving as fast as its legs could carry it. Unfortunately, the creatures running the streets were far, far faster. 

As they neared, Geist let out what almost sounded like a snarl. "Very well then. **This world is ours! Take it from us if you can!** " The MEKA's hydraulics shifted suddenly, and Hana activated the rear facing camera. Geist had lept from the MEKA's back directly into the hordes, swinging his conjured blades with what almost looked like a berserk fury, but upon further inspection, every movement was precise and calculated. He spun like a dervish, cutting the creatures down as they approached. As he fought, the arcs of lightning spitting from his blades seemed to envelop his entire arms, then down his back. Hana slowed the MEKA to a stop, turned it around, and began firing into the mass.

"Geist, we can't hold them off forever! There's only so long you can keep moving, and only so long before there's too many for me to gun down!" The more of the things she fought, the better she got at aiming her MEKA's cannons for consistent killshots, but spread took it's toll and every so often, a creature took an extra shot or two to take down. The queen rounded the intersection they'd last turned down, and let out a chilling howl. Hana gulped as it stepped forwards, bladed leg crushing an abandoned car underneath the monster's weight. She looked down at her readouts, at the remaining fuel. No way they could kill that beast, and no way the fuel she had left was enough to outrun it. She grimaced. Unless... She looked back up at the creature, and shouted. "Geist! Get to cover, now!" She activated the boosters, primed her eject, and grinned. " **NERF THIS, YOU OVERGROWN ZERGLING.** " She ejected, and the MEKA shot fowards using what little fuel remained. As it started to glow, Geist realized what was about to happen, and turned to her. He held out his hand, and a bubble of light formed around her. But she couldn't see what happened to him. The creatures were almost upon them now, And the queen deftly caught the MEKA in one of it's arms. It stopped it's charge, looking curiously at the glowing machine. 

Then the MEKA's payload detonated, and the world went white.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Hana recovered, she opened her eyes. She slowly lifted her head, and the ringing in her ears receded. She looked around the street where she lay, and saw the burnt bodies of dozens of the creatures- But where was Geist? She pushed herself to her feet, and called out. "Geist?" But no reply came. Or maybe one did, the ringing in her ears was still so loud she could barely hear anything else. She braced herself against the bubble of light that still remained- it had provided cover from the explosion, but not saved her completely. She felt sore all over, probably from being knocked to the street by the force of the blast. As the bubble of light faded, she saw Geist laying in the street, in a similar bubble to her own, except he seemed not to have escaped the explosion nearly as unscathed. She approached, kneeling to examine his injuries. The purple glow faded, and he lifted his head.

"Ah... Hello Hana. Sorry about the- _cough_ sudden stasis. It was the only way to save you."

Hana shook her head. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. But what about you? You look like... Well. Like you just took an explosion to the jaw."

He let out a laugh. "I suppose I... did. My powers preserve me, as they let me preserve you. Unfortunately, they are... unpredictable, at times. Stasis did not come as quickly for me as it did to you. Help me to my feet, would you?" Hana took his hand and helped him up. They looked at the body of the queen, laying in the street, parts of the MEKA embedded in it's exoskeleton. "That was quite... quite the feat."

"Yeah... To date, I'm still the only MEKA pilot to have actually hit the button." Hana laughed in return. "Guess I'm the only one crazy enough to trust that I'd survive the ensuing blast." She turned back to watch for their EVAC. "I'm gonna have one hell of a story to tell, huh?"

"That you will." Geist replied.

Hana looked at him sideways. "You alright? Your injuries look... bad."

He nodded. "I will live. I will need medical attention before I can do much more than walk, but I will live."

Minutes later, the EVAC landed. Two more MEKA stepped out, looking ready for a fight. Then they saw Hana and Geist standing in the street. Then they saw the _rest_ of the street. One of the pilots started laughing, and the other shook their head. "Hana!" the laughing one said. "The hell did you do, take on the entire Zerg swarm?" The other sighed. 

"I wish you wouldn't encourage her. It's bad enough having one loose cannon, we don't need two."

"Well, MEKA should have thought of that before they hired professional, competitive gamers to do a soldier's job."

Hana laughed, already relaxing in the presence of other pilots. "And so what if I did? 's that make me the new Queen Bitch of the Universe?"

Geist raised an eyebrow at the title. "Sorry Hana, but I'm pretty sure I know who holds that title right now, if she's still alive."

The grinning pilot raised an eyebrow "'n who's this guy? We hiring Protoss now?"

Geist didn't quite follow competitive gaming, but he knew enough to know when he was being mocked. He raised a gauntlet, and a purple blade extended from it. He spoke mockingly. "En Taro Tassadar?" The response caused a fit of laughter from the entire group, while behind his helmet, Geist rolled his eyes. It would be interesting, working with soldiers so young. Even XCOM during its days as a resistance unit hadn't had anyone _this_ green. Some had been immature, sure, but these people were barely adults. He absently wondered how Betos was getting along contacting Overwatch. Perhaps after he contacted what little of the Templars remained, he would give her a call. As for Volk, well. He wasn't quite sure what Volk would do. No one really ever was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What Geist said about the Queen isn't explicitly true- he has no idea if XCOM ever performed examinations to determine the exact height of a Chryssalid Queen. 
> 
> Poor Hana will probably be dreaming of Zerg chasing her for weeks.


End file.
